BESS Installs In Europe Grow 15% In 2024, Future Growth Expected To Jump

Europe experienced another year of record installations for battery storage, despite slower year-on-year growth, according to the  European Market Outlook for Battery Storage by Solar Power Europe. Europe installed 21.9 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in 2024, marking the eleventh consecutive year of record installations, and bringing Europe’s total battery fleet to 61.1 GWh. However, the annual growth rate slowed down to 15% in 2024, after three consecutive years of doubling newly added capacity. However, 2024 is likely to be  pause, as growth picks up fast again from this year onwards.

However, beating 15% will not be good enough, says SolarPowerEurope’s latest report on the European Market Outlook for Battery Storage 2025-2029. The report added, in the most likely scenario for 2025, 29.7 GWh of battery storage will be installed in Europe, representing a 36% annual growth.

By 2029, the report anticipates a sixfold increase to nearly 120 GWh, driving total capacity to 400 GWh (EU-27: 334 GWh).  According to its Mission Solar 2040 study, EU-27 BESS capacity must reach 780 GWh by 2030 to fully support the transition.

Top Five Markets Added 78%Of Europe’s New Battery Capacity

In 2024, the top five national markets added 78% of Europe’s new battery capacity, though there was some movement in their exact standings. Germany maintained its leading role despite a drop in residential installations and the slow uptake of larger batteries. Italy’s home battery segment also decreased, but the large-scale segment’s capacity surge brought the market to new heights. The UK experienced a temporary slump due to project delays at the large-scale level but remained at a higher altitude than Austria and Sweden, which both reached the GWh scale for the first time thanks to very strong growth in the residential, commercial, and industrial (C&I) market.

Key Recommendations

Alongside the market analysis, SolarPower Europe makes several recommendations to reach the required levels of batteries in Europe by the end of the decade:

1. The European Commission must adopt an Energy Storage Action Plan within a broader Flexibility Package, to harmonise markets, remove regulatory barriers, and ensure storage is integral to national energy strategies.
2. Grid connection procedures and pricing frameworks must be reformed to facilitate access, prioritise hybrid systems, and fairly allocate costs.
3. BESS must have full and fair access to electricity markets, with clear revenue streams, updated Guarantees of Origin frameworks, and permission to stack revenues.
4. Balancing markets must become fully competitive and accessible to storage, through harmonised technical standards and transparent procurement.
5. Europe must enhance smart metering and data communication standards to enable real-time energy management and seamless BESS integration.

Europe’s 2025 growth hinges on the large-scale utility battery projects set to come online in the course of the year. The large-scale battery segment is growing rapidly, and for the first time, is set to represent most of battery installations on the continent this year.

Historically, home batteries have driven the European battery storage market, but 2025 will mark their drop to represent 33% of the market. As the effects of the energy crisis wane – and related support schemes – European citizens are less inclined to install batteries at home. On the other hand, commercial & industrial battery storage is set to grow slightly in 2025, as businesses tap into the energy security and cost-effectiveness that solar and storage can offer.

Leadership Views

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe (she/her), said: “If Europe has already entered the solar age, the battery storage age is just beginning. With solar energy mainstreaming across the continent, now is the time for European decision-makers to put batteries at the centre of a flexible, electrified, energy system. We urge the European Commission to double down on their efforts here and come forward with an EU Energy Storage Action Plan as part of a broader Energy System Flexibility Package. The recent electricity outage in the Iberian Peninsula is a stark reminder of why this is important.”

Markus Elsaesser, the CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH (he/him), said: “Europe’s solar success has laid the foundation – now battery storage is stepping into its pivotal role. With solar power surging across the continent, the need for flexible capacity has never been clearer, and batteries are ready to deliver. As with solar cells and modules, prices for battery storage technology have fallen rapidly over the past decade. If we apply the same focus and ambition to storage that we once did to solar, Europe can build a resilient, renewables-based energy system faster than many think. The momentum is there – now it’s time to scale.”